


Insubordination

by limyth (unknownymous)



Category: Aldnoah.Zero (Anime)
Genre: M/M, medicine for my bleeding heart
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-07
Updated: 2014-11-07
Packaged: 2018-02-24 10:11:00
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,723
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2577737
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unknownymous/pseuds/limyth
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Because Slaine deserves to have someone on his side even if he doesn't know it.</p><p>Influenced by Vs/022, JetnessAffliction's "Backwards, Forwards", and blue_spectrums presence, help and encouragement respectively.</p><p>(A "Daily prayer Harklight won't be a jerk to Slaine" fic)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Insubordination

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: Aldnoah.Zero does not belong to me.
> 
> A/N: I had this idea ever since the promotion pic with Slaine and Harklight came out. It wasn’t until I read JetnessAflictions ‘Backwards, Forwards’ and I spoke to blue_spectrum where she asked me to write it that I steeled myself to put the idea to paper, though. When I started writing this, everything was a mess. I had the idea and I had the scenes, but I couldn’t put them all together the way I wanted them. Fortunately blue_spectrum was there to fix the mess. She’s the miracle worker who put everything piece by piece(not exaggerating) together, and finally got me writing the story to the very end. For that, thanks blue_spectrum! For arranging all the puzzle pieces and for reading and fixing all my other mistakes!

**INSUBORDINATION**

 

The Tharsis deactivated with a low hum and Slaine slammed his head against the headrest in an effort to keep himself awake. They had just gotten back to the castle after another scrimmage with the Terran troops. He and his men had successfully driven their enemies away and even captured a few. However, the war was far from over; he could already tell there would be no rest for him.

Closing his eyes, Slaine took a deep breath and slammed his head back again. He focused on the action instead of the pounding in his temple and the aching in his limbs. He didn't know how many times he repeated the act before the footsteps outside his Kataphract distracted him back to the present. With a tired sigh, he reached for the button to open the hatch, leaned forward and opened his eyes to meet the piercing gaze of Harklight.

Slaine's eyes narrowed at the unwavering expression, but he averted them in favour of getting down. He didn't have time for this.

There was barely any form of acknowledgement between them when Slaine walked pass him and made his way to the brig. The echo of the footsteps that followed him a moment later though, somehow grated on his nerves. It made him feel uncomfortable, almost insecure.

Harklight had been introduced and appointed to him immediately after his promotion from a soldier to a knight. Back then, the man had regarded Slaine similarly. With unyielding eyes that travelled from his face all the way down to his boots at an exceedingly slow pace. It made the hairs on the back of his neck tingle in warning. Slaine had been wary of the man ever since. It didn't help that he couldn't read Harklight's expressions either. He could never tell what to expect from the man, though something in the back of his mind told him to always be on alert.

Without a backwards glance, Slaine turned to the corridor leading to his quarters, but stopped at the spectacle that faced him.

One of the Terran soldiers they'd captured was trying to break free from the Versians restraining him. The Terran cursed and spat at one of the soldiers' face. Enraged, the Versian raised a hand to land a strike.

It was purely on instinct that Slaine moved to grab the hand and intercept the blow before it landed. A reflex born from being a Terran himself even when it was Versian soldiers he now commanded. He didn't miss the looks of surprise those same soldiers gave him, but it was all the distraction the Terran needed to free himself from their clutches and attack.

The blow landed on Slaine's face with a loud crack, and he stumbled sideways from the force, feeling his vision blur. Only the hands that moved to grab him kept him on his feet, and Slaine heard more than he saw the scuffle that ensued after the attack.

"Traitor!" The Terran spat, making another lunge for him with no success, the soldiers having restrained the man with even more force than before. The soldier whose hands he'd yet to let go of had moved to stand between them. Knowing what would happen next if he didn't stop it, Slaine spoke before anything more could be done.

"Don't", he commanded, righting himself to stand on his own. The soldier turned and the hands supporting him retreated. Slaine opted to focus on his next words instead of the heavy gaze of the soldier, and the presence standing a little too close behind him. He ignored the throbbing of his jaw and the blood on his lips in favor of evenly staring back at the silent request for revenge.

"No", he said firmly. "Take him to the holding cells and keep him there. Tell everyone to leave him alone."

There was a flash of indecision in the soldier's eyes that Slaine didn't miss, but a moment later, the man left to follow his orders with a last respectful salute. He kept his gaze on the ground, ignoring the Terran's loud curses until the sound became too faint to even be heard. Only then did he return on his walk to his quarters.

He left the door open as soon as he was inside.

Knowing Harklight, the man wasn't going to leave him alone any time soon. He didn't understand why the man even bothered to stay when all he ever did was hover over his shoulder and observe. Slaine shook his head at the thought and walked over to his desk and sat.

It was already late, but there were still things he needed to do before he could even consider the thought of resting. The digital screen in front of his desk was flashing, showing the number of documents to be read by the hundreds. They were reports from the soldiers of the Landing Castle with detailed content concerning their progress. Slaine couldn't understand why 'paperwork' was even flooding them in the middle of a war. Orders were orders though, so he picked up the first on the list and started reading the contents one by one.

He'd all but forgotten that he'd left the door open and only realized Harklight had been gone when the man came back carrying something in his hands. The sound of the door closing made Slaine look up and blink tiredly as he focused his eyes on  the approaching man. Harklight stopped in front of him, silently offering the icepack he held, and Slaine wondered why the man even bothered. He shook his head.

"Thank you, but it's okay now. It doesn't hurt", Slaine said and returned to his reading. Harklight didn't move, and Slaine ignored him, focusing his dwindling attention on the tablet in his hand.

A click of the tongue was all the warning he got before Slaine felt fingers jerk his chin upwards. The icepack met his face halfway and he flinched at the contact, but Harklight's firm grip kept him in place. He sucked in a breath feeling the sting come back full force. He opened his eyes, not knowing when he'd closed them and was met with a clear view of Harklight's annoyed expression.

The man was way too close.

With narrowed eyes he grabbed at the others' hand and tugged. Harklight only held on tighter, and Slaine pressed his lips in a thin line and exhaled in agitation. He said the only thing he could think of then and there.

"You're stepping out of line, soldier."

"You're clearly neglecting your health, sir." Harklight countered, and Slaine stopped himself before he could say anything more.

They stared at each other for another minute before Slaine finally gave in and held the icepack himself. _I don't have time for this,_ he thought feeling the grip on his face loosen. He returned to his reading without another word, and pressed the icepack against his jaw harder to keep himself awake. Harklight wordlessly stepped to the side, stood on attention and checked his watch once. Slaine was left alone for all of fifteen minutes, before the man turned to him again.

"It's late. You should rest, sir." Harklight said and took the icepack away from Slaine's startled fingers. Slaine hardly understood the man over the haze in his mind, but Harklight was quick to clarify his words. "Get some sleep", the man said and closed the screen next.

With a sigh, Slaine stood up and gathered his bearings. He was far too tired to argue with the man any more. It wasn’t worth it and he knew himself that he needed the sleep. Pressing a hand to his temple, he sluggishly made his way to the bed, stood in front of it, and stared.

"...Shall I take your clothes off for you, Slaine-sama?" Harklight's voice rang from behind him, but Slaine stayed still. He would have noticed the tinge of annoyance in the man’s voice if he had been more awake, but he was far too out of it to even process the words.With a weak shake of his head, Slaine dropped down on the bed and was asleep in seconds. Harklight who was still standing next to him, could only stare and click his tongue.

With careful movements, the man removed Slaine's boots and gently coaxed him out of his uniform and under the blankets. Slaine’s breathing evened out and Harklight lightly traced a hand over the bruise before making his way to the head to ruffle his hair.

“Working yourself to exhaustion”, he tucked a stray lock of hair behind Slaines ear and sighed. “What a stubborn child.” Harklight said.

Even when he was a Terran, even when he had once been nothing but a scum abroard the late Count Cruhteo's castle. To work so hard for the cause of a civilization he didn't belong to. To endure being called a traitor by his very own kind. To live between two worlds that he could never belong to again. This one child was sacrificing so much to save the worlds that had now rejected him. Harklight would never say it out loud, not to the boy or to the rest of the world, but he'd do what he'd have to in order to protect this one child.

Slaine may not have known, but his efforts had earned him more than just respect and admiration from the people he commanded. There were those who were now willing to sacrifice themselves for him. For his cause; for his safety.

 _You deserve to see the fruit of your efforts_ , Harklight thought, moving to stand beside the bed and kneeling in front of the sleeping child. He grasped the boy's hand lightly, and pressed his lips to the pale knuckles.

“Unit this war is over, until your mission has been fulfilled. I swear fealty to you, Slaine Troyard, and vow to protect you at all cost. I will stand with you as your shield and your sword. I will never betray you.” Harklight declared, eyes fixed and determined. Standing up, he bowed shortly and walked to the desk. He returned a few minutes later with a chair and the tablet full of documents and sat down to continue where Slaine had left off.

He stayed like that for the rest of the night.

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Ending was heavily influence by the childhood of Slaine manga. Slaine deserves a break.
> 
> I regret NOTHING.


End file.
